OBJECTIVE. To study the childhood renal disease pattern based on the renal biopsy histology in a local paediatric tertiary renal centre.

DESIGN. Retrospective study.

SETTING. Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. All patients who underwent real-time ultrasound-guided closed renal biopsy from 1 April 1997 to 31 March 2007 were included.

RESULTS. A total of 209 renal biopsies were performed, 162 on native kidneys and 47 on grafts. In the native group, major indications were renal manifestations secondary to systemic diseases (34%), followed by idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (28%) and haematuria (27%). In 94% the histopathology revealed glomerular diseases. Among the primary glomerular diseases, thin glomerular basement membrane disease, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, minimal change disease, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis accounted for most. In all, 37% of patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and its relative incidence was increased when compared to previous studies. Minimal change disease and minimal change disease with mesangial immunoglobulin M deposits accounted for the majority of steroid dependent and frequent relapsers. Among patients with isolated microscopic haematuria, 73% had thin glomerular basement membrane disease, while patients with concomitant haematuria and proteinuria had a wide variety of pathology. In the kidney graft group, acute graft dysfunction was due to acute rejection in 38% of the patients, followed by calcineurin inhibitor toxicity in 14%. Chronic allograft nephropathy caused chronic allograft dysfunction in the majority of cases. Post-transplant proteinuria was caused by recurrence of the primary renal disease in all of our patients.

CONCLUSION. This study provides updated epidemiological information for childhood renal disease and a change in the pattern of disease was observed.

Key words: Biopsy; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Glomerulosclerosis, focal segmental; Kidney transplantation; Nephrotic syndrome

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